Merry-go-round



Patented Dec. 7, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,101,719 MERRY-GO-ROND Henry J. Niebuhr, Lewiston, Idaho Application August 7,

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to a merry-goround suitable for use and operation by children, and particularly to a merry-go-round of this character designed for easy operation by one of 5* the child passengers thereon, and an important object of the invention is to provide a simple eflicient, and attractivearrangement of this character.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an easily constructed and inexpenslve merry-g'o-round of thecharacter indicated above which may. be readilyformed of a variety of different materials but which is preferably made up of wood, iron,steel, and bearing material such as babbitt.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from areading of the following description taken in connection With the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown apreferred embo.diment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure.l is a general perspective view showing an embodiment f my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged bot.tom plan Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of Figure 1 With a portion broken away.

Figure 4 is a general transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3.

Referring in detail 120 the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates a preferably hexagonal base which can be suitably made up of six fiat pieces of timber each of which is generally designated 6 with the ends thereof beveled where they meet, and with vertically and inwardly inclined members I having their outer and lower ends beveled and resting on the junctions, and With bolts 8 passing through the members l and through the junctions and through bottom brac- 4 ing and assembling plates 9 in which the heads of the bolts are countersunk as indicated by the numeral I0. Additional bolts II pass through the adjacent ends 0f the members 6, whereby the adjacent members 6 are securely fastened to- 45 gether and the members I securely fastened to the junction thereof. Interposed betwen the lower ends of the members I and the tops of the members 6 are flat iron or other suitable material radial braces I2 which intersect ab the center of the base 5 andare fastened together a.s generally indicated by the numeral I3 'in Figure 4. By means of the arrangements stated the assembling plates 9 are arrangecl to rest on the ground and to acta as supports and also as wear plates, besides acting as braces and assembling devices.

view Qf 1936, Serial N0. 94,850

The upper and inner ends of the inclined members I are sei: into 'receiving openings I5 in the block I4 which has therein a vertical bore I6 in which the vertical non-rotatable shaft I1 is supported and keyed by means of a key l8 With the 5 lower end 01 the shaft I'I resting on the intersection of the radial braces I2. Upper edge portions I9 of the members I are cut away as indicated for clearance purposes.

"The revoluble platform which is generally designated 20 and which is revolubly supported on the base 5, comprises the wooden 01 other suit able material annulus 2I which is open as indicated by the numeral 22 als its center and has bolted 110 the undersicle thereof radially disposed and circumferentially spacecl cleats 23.

A sheetmetal annular plate 24 overlies the top of the annulus 2I and has a depending apron 25 dependingfwm the outer edge thereof and. along the radiallyoutward ends of the cleats 23.

Resting on the protective sheet 24 are the pedestals 26 which support the bucket-type seats 2'I. A long vertical holt 28 traverses the seat portion 29 of the seat 21 and also the pedestal 26 as Well as the protective sheet 24, the annulus 2I and the corresponding cleat 23, whereby these parts are adequately assembled.

Rising from the radially inward edge of the protective sheet 24 is the cylindrical housing 30 which rises to a height slightly above the top of the seats and has thereon a removable cover 3I which has a fiange 32 fitting around the outside of the cylinder andlhe top rests directly 011 radially inwardly projecting support brackets 33 which are circumferentially distributed around the inner part of the I;op 0f the housing as clearly shown in Figure 4. Removal of the cover 3l makes accessible the interior operating mechanism protected by the housing 30. A support 34 on the bottom of the removable top 3I contains a nut 35 in which is threaded a stub shaft 36 which bears on the top of the shaft I'I and holds the same down in platze.

AI; one side of the exterior of the housing 30 is a vertical standard 31 which is fastenecl as indicated by the numeral 38 to the top of the platform 20 and which has at its upper end a bearing sleeve 39 in which turns the crankshaft 40 which is tubular in form and has at its outer end a crank handle 4I disposed in front of one of the seats 21 for operation by the passenger seated therein. The crankshaft 40 is slidable inwardly through the sleeve 39 and -upon the operating shaft portion 42 between the radially outward end of which and the end of the crankshaft 40 is an 55 expanding spring 43 which normally keeps the handle 4l in a, radially outwardly projected disengaged position.

On the radially inward end of the tubular shaft; 40 and within the housing 30 is the clutch head 44 which is arranged to have 1ts notches 45 operatively engage the pins 46 on the operating shaft 42, upon inward pushing of the shaft 40, whereby the shaft 40 is operatively connected With the shaft 42 for rotating the beveled pinion 41 which is meshed With the beveled gear 48 which is fixed on the shaft I I. The shaft I! and the beveled gear 48 being non-rotatable, the effectg of rotating the pinion 41 in the manner indicatecl is to cause the platform 20 to rotate about the shaft I1.

Supporting the shaft 42 within the housing 30 are the babbitt or other suitable material bearings* 49 and 50, and these bearings are respectively fastened on the top of rings 5l and 52 which are supported in the upper part of the housing 30 by inverted U-shaped brackets 53 distributed circumferentially around the housing anal resting, on similarly distributed radially outwardly declining braces 54 which have their outer anal lower ends passing through openings in the flooring 20 and in the annulus 2I to be held in plane by a nut 55 on a J-shaped holt 56 which has its crook projecting be1ow the cleat 23 through which it passes and. engages around a rod 51 which extends between adjacent cleats and braces the same as wel1 as anchoring the frame-work which is composed by the members 54.

The members 54 have a perpendicular portion 58 and from the lower end of this perpendicular portion a, short radially outwardly declining portion 59 Which is bolted as indicated. by the numeral 60 to the radially inward ends of the cleats 23 where they project beyond the opening 22 in the platform annulus 2l. Broken rings EI are clamped on the upper part of the perpendicu- 1ar members 58 and hold in place a, bearing or support 62 in which the upper part of the shaft I1 is mounted, while a similar support 63 is disposed between the members 58 at their lower ends and held in p1ace by bolts 84 passing through the members 58 into the bearing 63. It is to be noted that the lower ends of the verbical members 58 rest upon the top of the block I4.

Although I have .shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials, am]. in the structure and. arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

A merry-go-round of the dass described comprising a base, an upstanding shaft fixedly secured centrally of said base, a platform rotatably mounted on said shaft, a, bevelled gear fixedly secured to the upper portion of said. upstanding shaft, an upstanding support on said platform, a horizontally disposed rotatably mounted shaft on said p1atform having a pinion gear on one end thereof in mesh with the bevelled gear a hollow tubular member rotatably am]. slidably mounted in said upstanding support; having the free end of said horizontally disposed shaft extending therein, clutch means 011 the inner end of said tubular member and on said horizontally disposed shaft cooperable for rotating said horizontally disposed shaft, a, handle on the outer end of said tubular member, and. resilient means disposed within said tubular member abutting the free end of said horizontally disposed shaft for normally maintaining said clutch elements out of engagement.

' HENRY J. NIEBUHR. 

